‘To be sure, to be sure! I beg you to present me to your wife. Madam, I have always had the profoundest respect for Dmitri Vassilyevitch’ (he corrected himself)--‘for Nikanor Vassilyevitch, and am very happy to have the pleasure at last of making your acquaintance. Fancy,’ he continued, turning to Insarov, ‘I only heard yesterday evening that you were here. I am staying at this hotel too. What a city! Venice is poetry--that’s the only word for it! But one thing’s really awful: the cursed Austrians meeting one at every turn! ah, these Austrians! By the way, have you heard, there’s been a decisive battle on the Danube: three hundred Turkish officers killed, Silistria taken; Servia has declared its independence. You, as a patriot, ought to be in transports, oughtn’t you? Even my Slavonic blood’s positively on fire! I advise you to be more careful, though; I’m convinced there’s a watch kept on you. The spies here are something awful! A suspicious-looking man came up to me yesterday and asked: “Are you a Russian?” I told him I was a Dane. But you seem unwell, dear Nikanor Vassilyevitch. You ought to see a doctor; madam, you ought to make your husband see a doctor. Yesterday I ran through the palaces and churches, as though I were crazy. I suppose you’ve been in the palace of the Doges? What magnificence everywhere! Especially that great hall and Marino Faliero’s place: there’s an inscription: _decapitati pro criminibus_. I’ve been in the famous prisons too; that threw me into indignation, you may fancy. I’ve always, you remember perhaps, taken an interest in social questions, and taken sides against aristocracy--well, that’s where I should like to send the champions of aristocracy--to those dungeons. How well Byron said: _I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs_; though he was an aristocrat too. I was always for progress--the younger generation are all for progress. And what do you say to the Anglo-French business? We shall see whether they can do much, Boustrapa and Palmerston. You know Palmerston has been made Prime Minister. No, say what you like, the Russian fist is not to be despised. He’s awfully deep that Boustrapa! If you like I will lend you _Les Châtiments de Victor Hugo_--it’s marvellous--_L’avenir, le gendarme de Dieu_--rather boldly written, but what force in it, what force! That was a fine saying, too, of Prince Vyazemsky’s: “Europe repeats: Bash-Kadik-Lar keeping an eye on Sinope.” I adore poetry. I have Proudhon’s last work, too--I have everything. I don’t know how you feel, but I’m glad of the war; only as I’m not required at home, I’m going from here to Florence, and to Rome. France I can’t go to--so I’m thinking of Spain--the women there, I’m told, are marvellous! only such poverty, and so many insects. I would be off to California--we Russians are ready to do anything--but I promised an editor to study the question of the commerce of the Mediterranean in detail. You will say that’s